Month: March 2017

Against all odds, I read 6 books in March. One of them was a super short poetry collection, but the other five were full novels and all five of them were diverse books. Today I’m gonna talk about them!

This is a short, interesting and cute romance book that explores really important topics, especially related to trans issues. Also, Coffee Boy is #ownvoices, both the main character and the author are trans men. This book has positive bisexual representation, as well. One of the things I enjoyed the most is the romance, seeing how the relationship between Kieran and Seth developed was amazing.

I don’t even know how to put into words how amazing this books is. The Hate U Give is an #ownvoices book about the Black Lives Matter movement, this is such a heartbreaking book and it’s really hard to read because the situations the characters end up in are so enraging. At the same time, it has amazing family dynamics, great friendships, it has interesting storylines for all the characters and it has great representation.

Anothe book that I really really loved. Under Rose-Tainted Skies is an #ownvoices book about a girl that has agoraphobia, anxiety and OCD. I think the way that was handled was believable and sensitive. Norah, the main character, is interesting and funny and Luke, the love interest, is respectful and kind. I really liked the fact that this book doesn’t treats love as a cure for a mental illness.

I thought the storie in this book were so important, but I didn’t like the writing style at all and because of that I felt like I couldn’t connect with the narrator or the stories that much. I still understood the messages the stories were trying to convey, but I didn’t enjoy the reading experience.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange of a honest review. This is an amazing book about two girl, one is bisexual and the other is Indian-Australian and a lesbian. This book has an interesting setting and premise, it’s a mix between a summer camp and a Model UN. Which means there’s outdoorsy activities and, at the same time, each group represents a State that has resources, territory, population and the different groups have to negotiate between themselves to better their positions. It’s an interesting book that adresses important subject thorughout.

I ended up reading this book because I had 30 minutes before my friend picked me up at the library. I was looking for a really short book to read in that time and the title of this poetry collection caught my eye. Sadly, I have to say that this was extremely disappointing. It was cheesy and mediocre at best.

Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Do you want to read any of them? Let me know in the comments!

Diversity Spotlight Thrusday is a weekly meme hosted by Aimal from Bookshelves and Paperbacks. Every week, the participants are suppost to choose one book for each of the three categories: a diverse book you have read and enjoyed, a diverse book on your tbr, and a diverse book that has not yet been released.

If you didn’t know, I also decided to pick books that have less than a thousand ratings on Goodreads, because I want to promote less known diverse books and authors, and I will try to choose only #ownvoices books, because I want the authors that I promote to be members of minorities and marginalized groups.

If the Dress Fits by Carla de Guzman

Martha Aguas kind of has it all–she’s an accountant who loves numbers, an accident-prone puppy that loves her, and the perfect wardrobe.

Yes, she wears a dress size 24, her bras don’t fit and she’s never had a boyfriend, but so what?

It becomes a big deal when her perfect cousin Regina announces her engagement to Enzo, the only boy she’s ever loved (he doesn’t know, so don’t tell him!) Suddenly Aguases from all corners of the globe are coming for the event, and the last thing Martha wants is to be asked why she still prefers her lattes with a waffle on the side.

Thank god for Max. Goofy, funny, dependable Max, who finds himself playing the fake boyfriend at the family festivities. But why does it feel like only one of them is pretending?

If the Dress Fits is an #ownvoices book, both the main character and the author are Filipinx and have an under represented body type. This book is a funny and cute romance story between Martha, a plus sized woman of color who has a positive relationship with her weight, and Max, a biracial veterinarian, who loves to read, is really romantic and quotes books in random moments. I totally recommend it! Here’s my full review.

When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah

When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees – standing on opposite sides.

Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre.

Michael’s parents have founded a new political party called Aussie Values.

They want to stop the boats. Mina wants to stop the hate.

When Mina wins a scholarship to Michael’s private school, their lives crash together blindingly.

This book has been on my tbr for a while, I found out about it when I was looking for books with Muslim main characters. The truth is that I haven’t read that many books with positive Muslim representation and I’m definitely interested in changing that. I have heard that When Michael Met Mina is a really political book that adresses racism and imigration and I think those are very important subjets right now. I can’t wait to read this!

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

I’m latinx and I’m always looking for books with positive latinx representation, so off course I’m incredibly excited about I am not your perfect mexican daughter. I have heard nothing but great things about the representation in this book and I can’t wait to read it. The release date is October 17th 2017.

Have you read any of these? Did you like them? Can you recommend me some diverse books you love?

Hi guys! So, last week was the busiest week I have had in 2017. Actually, the entire month of March has been busy so that hasn’t let me get stuff done ahead and that’s why last week I collapsed. I had so much to do and I was not in a good place in terms of my mental health, so that made everything worse and that’s why I didn’t post anything. I finished most of the things I had to do by saturday morning, but my mental health was in such a bad state that I didn’t had the will to blog the rest of the weekend.

I’m excited to be posting somethins today! (even if it’s a bit late, it’s still monday in Colombia) For the last couple of weeks I have been posting book recommendations every monday that focus on a marginalized group (Here are the 9 Books Monday posts I have written so far). These posts were so fun to make that I decided to keep doing them as a series on my blog. So, every monday, I will talk about 9 books that have positive representation for a minority/marginalized group. Today, I will talk about 9 books with black main characters: 3 books that I read and loved, 3 books on my tbr and 3 book releasing soon.

3 Books I Read and Loved

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: This was the lst book I read and I absolutely loved it. This is such a heartbreaking book and it’s really hard to read because the situations the characters end up in are so frustrating and enraging. At the same time, this book has amazing family dynamics, great friendships, it has interesting storylines for all the characters and it has great representation. This is an #ownvoices book about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The writing in this book is brilliant, it explores race and immigration in a very complex and interesting way , the main characters are complicated and they feel authentic and getting to learn about Nigeria was incredibly fascinting.

The Backstagers by James Tynion IV & Rian Sygn: I decided to include this graphic novel because it not only has a black boy as the main character, it also has a diverse cast of characters that includes other POC’s, a character with an underrepresented body type and characters that belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

3 Books on my TBR

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor: A science fiction book with a black female main characters, I can’t wait to read it! It sounds like this book takes place in a very complex and interesting universe and it also seems like it has

This Side of Home by Renée Watson: For what I know, this book has a mainly black cast of characters and it deals with heritage and being part of a community. Also, it discusses racism in different forms and there are reference to Black History Month and I’m excited to see how that it’s incorporated in this story.

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz: This book has a black female main character that is also bisexual and has an eating disorder. Finding a book like that has a character that lives in the intersection of so many identities is so rare that I can’t wait to read this one.

3 Books Releasing Soon

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert: This book has a black main character and she is also Jewish, and bisexual. Also, one of the characters in this book has a mental illness. There’s representation for a variety of marginalized/ minority groups and I’m really excited to see how the author handles that. Release date: August 8th 2017

The Belles by Dhonelle Clayton: I have heard so many great things about this one. It has a really interesting concept made even better by the fact that it’s a diverse, #ownvoices book. Release date: 2018

Dear Martin by Nic Stone: A part of this book is told thorugh letter that the main character is writing to Martin Luther King Jr and that’s so interesting. For what I know, this book discusses racism in a very honest and heartfelt way and I can’t wait to read it. Release date: October 17th 2017

Have you read any of these books? did you enjoy them? Are you planning on reading any of them? Do you have recommendations for books with black main characters?

I had a lot of fun writing the post about 9 Books with Bisexual Female Characters and I decided to make this a kind of series that I will be posting on my blog. Every monday (Today I’m posting it a bit late, but in Colombia is still monday!), I will talk about 9 books that have representation for a minority/marginalized group. Today, I will talk about 9 books with latinx characters: 5 books that I read and loved and 4 books that I want to read.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova has a bisexual latinx main character (#ownvoices, the author is latinx, as well) and it has an incredible world and magic system based on different believe system and cultures from Latinamerican countries. I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns 2 years ago or more and it took me until December of 2016 -when I read Labyrinth Lost- to see myself represented in a positive way in a book again, because of that, this book has a really special place with me.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera: This is my favorite book of 2016, I love that the main character in this book is Latinx and queer (#ownvoices!) and I love the fact that this books deals with a lot of importatnt subjects related to intersectional feminism. I know now that there’s one line in this book that it’s harmful to native readers and I did notice that when I read it and then completely forgot about it and that it’s a huge mistake on my part. I just wanted all of you to know that.

When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez This book portraits depression through the stories of two main characters that experience this mental illness in very different ways and that it’s definitely the thing that makes this book unique, as well as incredibly important. This book does not only represent mental illness, there’s different kinds of diversity represented including a latinx main characters. Also, this is #ownvoices since the author is also latinx. Here’s my review.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe by Benajmin Alire Saénz: I remember loving this book so much when I read it; it has two latinxs male main characters and they are gay and I remember that I reread the last scene so many times after finishing it because Ari and Dante are so cute together. I really wanted to have this on this list because there’s not enough latinx male characters on it, I just tend to read mainly books with female main characters.

BOOKS I WANT TO READ

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: I have been hearing about this book for so long and I still haven’t read it, I really need to fix that. This is a really short book about a Latina girl growing up in Chicago and it’s #ownvoices.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: I have heard nothing but great things about this one, I read the dedication and the first page recently and it made me really want to read it, because the writing style is beautiful. Also, I know this book has a latinx main character and a trans Pakistani main character and it’s #ownvoices because the author is latinx.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez: I added this book on Goodreads so long ago, because Roxane Gay gave it a great rating and wrote a lovely review. I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. I know this is about a neighborhood where a group of latinxs immigrants live and also that it’s #ownvoices because the author is also latinx.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez: I only found out about this one recently, the release date is October 17th 2017 and I can’t wait to read it. In the synopsis this book is compared to Jane the Virgin and I’m sold, defenitily reading this one. Also, #ownvoices!

Have you read any of these books? did you enjoy them? Are you planning on reading any of them? Do you have recommendations for books with latinx main characters?

Diversity Spotlight Thrusday is a weekly meme hosted by Aimal from Bookshelves and Paperbacks. Every week, the participants are suppost to choose one book for each of the three categories: a diverse book you have read and enjoyed, a diverse book on your tbr, and a diverse book that has not yet been released.

If you didn’t know, I also decided to pick books that have less than a thousand ratings on Goodreads, because I want to promote less known diverse books and authors, and I will try to choose only #ownvoices books, because I want the authors that I promote to be members of minorities and marginalized groups.

God Smites and Other Muslim Girl Problems by Ishara Deen

Craving a taste of teenage life, Asiya Haque defies her parents to go for a walk (really, it was just a walk!) in the woods with Michael, her kind-of-friend/crush/the guy with the sweetest smile she’s ever seen. Her tiny transgression goes completely off track when they stumble on a dead body. Michael covers for Asiya, then goes missing himself.

Despite what the police say, Asiya is almost sure Michael is innocent. But how will she, the sheltered girl with the strictest parents ever, prove anything? With Michael gone, a rabid police officer in desperate need of some sensitivity training, and the murderer out there, how much will Asiya risk to do what she believes is right?

I have talked about this one a few times on my blog, but in case you missed it please know that I loved this book so much and I can’t wait to read the sequel and here more from Asiya. God Smites is a funny, charming and interesting book. The main character, Asiya,has a unique voice that shines throughout the whole story. Also, the humour is absolutely brilliant and that comes from being honest and outspoken about things that are not often talked about in YA. Here’s my review.

The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis

After dropping out of university and breaking up with her girlfriend of three years, Chris Morrison’s life is now a mind-numbing mess. She doubts that working at the small neighborhood bookstore is going to change that. The rest of her time is spent mostly playing guitar and ignoring the many messages her mother keeps sending her about going back to college.

But one day, an adorable and charming new bookseller waltzes her way into Chris’s life. Josie Navarro is sweet, flirty, and she always has a new book in her hands. The two girls start a fast friendship that, for Chris, holds the promise of something more. But is she reading too much into this or is it possible that Josie feels the same way?

I have heard a lot of things about this book from people on my Twitter timeline. These are some of the things I know about this book: it’s super short, it’s set in a bookstore and it has a pansexual main character and the love interest is a lesbian filipino girl. Also, I have heard is sex positive. I don’t really need to know more than that.

That Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Karim

Shabnam Qureshi is a funny, imaginative Pakistani-American teen attending a tony private school in suburban New Jersey. When her feisty best friend, Farah, starts wearing the headscarf without even consulting her, it begins to unravel their friendship. After hooking up with the most racist boy in school and telling a huge lie about a tragedy that happened to her family during the Partition of India in 1947, Shabnam is ready for high school to end. She faces a summer of boredom and regret, but she has a plan: Get through the summer. Get to college. Don’t look back. Begin anew.

Everything changes when she meets Jamie, who scores her a job at his aunt’s pie shack, and meets her there every afternoon. Shabnam begins to see Jamie and herself like the rose and the nightingale of classic Urdu poetry, which, according to her father, is the ultimate language of desire. Jamie finds Shabnam fascinating—her curls, her culture, her awkwardness. Shabnam finds herself falling in love, but Farah finds Jamie worrying.

With Farah’s help, Shabnam uncovers the truth about Jamie, about herself, and what really happened during Partition. As she rebuilds her friendship with Farah and grows closer to her parents, Shabnam learns powerful lessons about the importance of love, in all of its forms.

This is another book that has been all over my twitter timeline (great book recs, that’s how I know I follow the right people!). I’m looking forward to reading this book because a)The synopsis sound interesting and intriguing and b) I haven’t read enough books with Muslim characters and I don’t think I have ever read a book with a Pakistani main character. The release date for this one is May 9th 2017.

Have you read any of these? Did you like them? Can you recommend me some diverse books you love?

I was recently nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the lovely Laura @Green Tea & Paperbacks. I already did this – actually, it was the first award I was ever nominated for- but it was a long time ago and the questions were diferent, so I decided it would be fun to do it again and answer Laura’s questions.

Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.

Answer the eleven questions sent by the person who nominated you.

Nominate eleven blogs to receive the award and write them eleven new questions.

In this post, I will talk about 9 books with bisexual female main characters: 3 books I have read and loved, 3 books on my tbr and 3 books releasing soon. I haven’t read that many books with bisexual characters, but it’s something that’s important to me and I will definitely be reading more books with bisexual female characters in the future.

3 BOOKS I HAVE READ

The book that inspired this list is How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, I think the way in which Grace’s bisexuality is described in the book feels real and honest and the way her bisexuality is treated and viewed by other characters as something normal is so meaningful. here’s my full review.

I recently read Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee and the main character in this books is not only a bisexual girl, she is also biracial. Sadly, it’s not that easy to find positive representation of a bisexual, biracial girl, so I think this book is so incredibly important.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova is especially important to me, because the main character is not only bisexual, she is latinx like me. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and finding a fantasy book that I can relate to means so much to me.

3 BOOKS ON MY TBR

I’m so excited to read Keeping her Secret by Sarah Nicolas, it sounds like Parent Trap (the movie with Lindsay Lohan, which I have watched countless times and loved it all of them), but instead of sisters the girls like each other and one of them is bisexual. I think that’s all I need to say about it.

I have heard so many good things about Ashby Malinda Lo from Riley @RileyMarie that I can’t wait to read it. Also, I love retellings and more when the main character in the retelling is bisexual.

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz has a black, bisexual female main character that has an eating disorder. Finding a book like that it’s so rare that I can’t wait to read it. I’m so happy this book exist.

3 BOOKS RELEASING SOON

27 Hours by Tristina Wright sounds amazing, the synopsis is great but the fact that it has a bunch of queer teens in space saving the day has me really excited to read it.

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate has a bisexual, Asian-American female main character and it has accapela and I’m intrigued by that. I love books where there’s music and I want to see how they incorporate the accapela into the book.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde sounds amazing, I have heard the representation is spot on and I know it includes not only a bisexual female character, but also positive representation for autism (this is #ownvoices).

Have you read any of these books? did you enjoy them? Are you planning on reading any of them? Do you have recommendations for books with bisexual female characters?

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About

Hi! I'm Sofia, I'm 23 and I'm from Colombia.

I often get lost wandering through the pages of books and the scenes in movies and tv shows. I blog mainly about books, but from time to time you will find posts about other things I love. I hope you have fun!